JP3501388B2 - Video processor of electronic endoscope for fluorescence diagnosis - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fluorescent diagnostic electronic for detecting early cancer by irradiating living tissue with excitation light having a specific wavelength and observing fluorescence emitted from the living tissue itself. The present invention relates to a video processor device for an endoscope.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When living tissue is irradiated with light (excitation light) having a wavelength of 400 nm to 480 nm, normal tissue emits fluorescence in the range of about 480 nm to 600 nm, and cancer cells do not emit fluorescence. It is known that it is possible to detect an early cancer that is not well understood by endoscopic observation.

Therefore, in a conventional video processor device for an electronic endoscope for fluorescence diagnosis, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 4-15 / 1992.
As described in Japanese Patent No. 0845, an excitation filter that transmits only excitation light is arranged in an illumination optical path emitted from a light source, and an objective optical system and a solid-state image sensor at the tip of an insertion portion of an endoscope are provided. A filter for transmitting fluorescence that transmits only the light of the wavelength of fluorescence is disposed between the two.

[0004]

However, in the apparatus as described above, the illumination light is only the excitation light, and the light rays incident on the solid-state image pickup device are only the fluorescent light. I can't observe.

Therefore, conventionally, when a normal endoscopic observation is performed to visually observe the position and state of the affected area,
Each time, it was necessary to replace the endoscope for fluorescence diagnosis with the endoscope for normal observation, and this was a great burden on both the patient and the doctor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a video processor device for an electronic endoscope for fluorescence diagnosis, which makes it possible to easily perform ordinary endoscope observation and fluorescence diagnosis.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the video processor unit of the electronic endoscope for fluorescence diagnosis of the present invention displays a normal color image by inputting a normal image pickup signal. And a fluorescent image video circuit for outputting a video signal for displaying a fluorescent image extracted by inputting an image pickup signal including a fluorescent image. Is characterized by.

The image pickup signal input terminal of the normal image video circuit and the image pickup signal input terminal of the fluorescent image video circuit may be provided independently of each other. Further, a screen synthesizing circuit for selecting and displaying either or both of a normal color image and a fluorescent image on a monitor may be provided, and a video signal of a plurality of fluorescent images sequentially output from the fluorescent image video circuit. It is also possible to provide a screen composing circuit for superimposing the above and converting them into one bright image signal.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows an external appearance of the entire configuration of the electronic endoscope apparatus according to the embodiment, and FIG. 1 shows a schematic internal structure thereof.

At the tip of the insertion portion 1 of the flexible endoscope, as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 3, two first and second solid-state image pickup devices 2 and 3 are both directed forward. They are arranged side by side. As the solid-state image pickup devices 2 and 3, for example, monochrome charge-coupled devices (CCD) are used.

Objective optical systems 4 and 5 are arranged in front of the solid-state image pickup devices 2 and 3, respectively, and an image of a subject in front is formed on the solid-state image pickup devices 2 and 3. The solid-state imaging devices 2 and 3 may be configured to share one objective optical system.

Between the first solid-state image pickup device 2 and the objective optical system 4, there is arranged a fluorescence transmitting filter 6 which transmits only light having a wavelength of 520 nm to 600 nm. Second
No such filter is arranged in front of the solid-state image sensor 3 of FIG.

The exit end of the illumination light guide fiber bundle 8 for irradiating the illumination light toward the observation range of both objective optical systems 4 and 5 is arranged side by side with both objective optical systems 4 and 5.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the distal end surface of the insertion section 1. 4a and 5a are observation windows in which the objective optical systems 4 and 5 are arranged, and 8a is the exit end of the light guide fiber bundle 8 for illumination. The arranged illumination window 9 is a projecting opening of the treatment instrument.

Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2, the base end of the insertion portion 1 is connected to the operating portion 11, and the video processor 20 is attached to the distal end of the connecting flexible tube 12 connected to the operating portion 11.
A connector 13 to be connected to is attached.

The connector 13 has first and second signal cables 15 and 16 for transmitting signals input to and output from the first and second solid-state image pickup devices 2 and 3, and a light guide fiber for illumination. The incident end of the bundle 8 reaches from the tip end side of the insertion portion 1.

The video processor 20 is provided with a light source lamp 21 such as a xenon lamp for supplying illumination light to the illumination light guide fiber bundle 8, and the light source lamp 21 and the illumination light guide fiber bundle 8 are incident. The RGB rotation filter 22 is arranged in the illumination optical path between the edge and the edge.

As shown in FIG. 5, the RGB rotary filter 22 includes three color filters of red (R), green (G), and blue (B), with a light-shielding portion interposed therebetween. It is fan-shaped and is rotated at a constant speed by the motor 23.

The wavelength range of the light transmitted by each color filter is as follows. Red (R): 580nm-650n
m. Green (G): 500 nm to 580 nm. Blue (B): 4
00 nm-500 nm.

As a result, the subject in front of the tip of the insertion portion 1 is repeatedly illuminated in sequence from the connector 13 via the illumination light guide fiber bundle 8 by the illumination light of three colors of red, green and blue. .

The second signal cable 16 for performing signal transmission to the second solid-state image pickup device 3 is connected by the connector 13 to the video circuit 2 for normal image in the video processor 20.
4 is connected.

On the other hand, the first signal cable 15 for transmitting a signal to the first solid-state image pickup device 2 provided with the filter 6 for transmitting fluorescence is provided in the video processor 20 for fluorescent image in the video processor 20 by the connector 13. It is connected to 26.

The first and second solid-state image pickup devices 2 and 3
Drive and rotation of the motor 23 that rotates the RGB rotary filter 22 are controlled in synchronization with the output signal from the timing circuit 25.

As a result, in the second solid-state image pickup device 3, image pickup is performed by the so-called RGB frame sequential method,
In the normal image video circuit 24, a normal color video signal of the subject is obtained.

On the other hand, the video signal picked up by the first solid-state image pickup device 2 and transmitted to the fluorescent image video circuit 26 is converted into blue illumination light (wavelength 400 nm to 500 n).
Only the video signal when the subject is illuminated in m) is extracted.

Since the image obtained there is only an image of light having a wavelength that can be transmitted through the fluorescence transmitting filter 6, the subject is excited by excitation light having a wavelength of 400 nm to 500 nm included in the blue illumination light. The fluorescent image is extracted by the fluorescent image video circuit 26.

The signals of the fluorescent image obtained by the fluorescent image video circuit 26 are sequentially sent to the image signal integrating circuit 30,
Then, by superimposing a plurality of image signals on one another, they are converted into bright image signals and sent to the screen compositing circuit 28. The cumulative number of times of superimposing image signals can be set either automatically or manually by the setting switch 31.

A fluorescent image signal output from the fluorescent image video circuit 26 and a color image signal output from the normal image video circuit 24 are input to the screen synthesizing circuit 28.

By using the display screen changeover switch 29, one or both of the fluorescence image and the normal image can be arbitrarily displayed on the monitor television 40 as shown in FIGS. Reference numeral 50 is a recording device for magnetically recording them. Reference numeral 27 shown in FIG. 2 is a keyboard for inputting control commands and the like to the video processor 20.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the RGB rotation filter 22 is an R, G, B three primary color filter and a filter that transmits only excitation light. E and E may be attached to one rotation filter, and the timing circuit 25 may perform control in synchronization with the rotation state of this filter.

In this case, for example, the wavelength range of the light transmitted by the filter E is 400 nm to 460 nm, and the wavelength range of the light transmitted by the fluorescence transmitting filter 6 is 480 nm.
To 600 nm, or the wavelength range of the light transmitted by the filter E is 400 nm to 480 nm, and the wavelength range of the light transmitted by the fluorescence transmitting filter 6 is 500 n.
m to 600 nm.

The wavelength of fluorescence excited from living tissue is about 4
Since it is in the range of 80 nm to 600 nm, the fluorescence image can be observed without loss by setting the shortest wavelength of the transmission region of the fluorescence transmission filter 6 as short as possible to 480 nm as described above.

In addition, the second solid-state image pickup device 3 for normal image
Alternatively, a color solid-state image sensor that outputs image signals of RGB three colors may be used. In that case, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the RGB rotation filter 22 may be formed such that half of the RGB rotation filter 22 is transparent and the other half is a filter E that transmits only excitation light.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, in the forceps channel 9 of a general electronic endoscope in which only the solid-state image pickup device 3 for normal image is arranged at the tip of the insertion portion 1, the objective lens is provided at the tip portion 60a. A small-diameter fiberscope 60 that transmits light images by an image guide fiber bundle is inserted, and an image sent by the small-diameter fiberscope 60 is passed through a fluorescence transmission filter 61 to obtain a monochrome solid-state imaging device 62. You may make it project on.

In this case, the video processor 20
By providing the image pickup signal input terminal of the normal image video circuit 24 and the image pickup signal input terminal of the fluorescent image video circuit 26 independently of each other, the small-diameter fiberscope 60 is provided.
An output signal from the solid-state image pickup device 62 that picks up an image passing through can be input to the video processor 20 by the dedicated connector 63.

Then, the signal processing is processed in the same manner as the output signal from the solid-state image pickup device 2 of the first embodiment, whereby a fluorescence image can be obtained via the small-diameter fiberscope 60.

[0037]

According to the present invention, a normal image video circuit for processing a normal image pickup signal and a fluorescent image video circuit for processing an image pickup signal containing a fluorescent image are provided. Both normal color and fluorescence images of the subject can be obtained without changing the endoscope in the middle of the endoscopy, thus avoiding the extra burden on both the patient and the doctor and the affected area. Early cancer and the like can be accurately diagnosed from the normal color image and the fluorescent image.

By providing the image pickup signal input terminal of the normal image video circuit and the image pickup signal input terminal of the fluorescent image video circuit independently of each other, a general electronic endoscope can be used, which is extremely useful. It is economical.

Further, by selecting either or both of the normal color image and the fluorescent image to be displayed on the monitor, the two images can be easily compared and diagnosed, and the fluorescent image video circuit is provided. It is possible to display a bright fluorescent image that can be sufficiently used for diagnosis by providing a screen synthesizing circuit for superimposing the video signals of a plurality of fluorescent images output from each other and converting them into one bright image signal. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an internal structure of an overall configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the overall configuration of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the tip of the insertion portion of the electronic endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the distal end surface of the insertion portion of the electronic endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the RGB rotary filter according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the monitor screen according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a front view of an RGB rotary filter according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a front view of an RGB rotary filter according to a third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the overall configuration of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

20 video processors 24 Normal image video circuit 26 Video circuits for fluorescent images

Continuation of front page (56) Reference JP-A-2-213362 (JP, A) JP-A-6-125911 (JP, A) JP-A-63-122421 (JP, A) JP-A-6-86182 (JP , A) JP-A-5-103266 (JP, A) JP-A-7-155286 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A61B 1/00 -1/32

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A video of an electronic endoscope for fluorescence diagnosis to which the above connector of an electronic endoscope having a connector for simultaneously outputting two image pickup signals of an image pickup signal including a fluorescent image and a normal image pickup signal in parallel is connected. A normal image video circuit for outputting a video signal for displaying a normal color image by inputting a normal image pickup signal from a connector of the electronic endoscope, and the normal image pickup signal input And a fluorescent image video circuit for outputting a video signal for displaying the fluorescent image extracted from the image pickup signal including the fluorescent image from the connector of the electronic endoscope in parallel, In addition, the image signal input terminal of the video circuit for normal image and the firefly
Independent of the image signal input terminal of the optical image video circuit
The electronic endoscope that is installed as a single unit and outputs only normal image pickup signals
And an electronic endoscope that outputs only an imaging signal including a fluorescence image,
A video processor device for an electronic endoscope for fluorescence diagnosis, which is capable of being connected simultaneously . 2. A normal color image and the fluorescence image fluorescence diagnostic electronic endoscope video processor system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the screen synthesis circuit is provided for displaying both or monitor by selecting one of the . 3. A process according to claim said fluorescent image of a plurality of sequentially output from the video circuit fluorescence image screen synthesis circuit for converting into a single bright image signal by superimposing a video signal is provided one or two A video processor device for the electronic endoscope for fluorescence diagnosis according to claim 1.